Someone sang a song. Her voice was beautiful. It rose up in the cold, still air and seemed to hover over us. I put the pink rose I had been given on the casket and kissed the cold smooth wood before I moved on. I didn’t stay to watch anybody else. I was freezing cold. I walked quickly to the car and got into it. The interior was blissfully warm. I took my leather gloves off and rubbed my hands together. They were like ice.
That was it. Robert’s funeral.
I had survived it.
Now there was the ordeal of the reading of the will to be endured.
Chapter 5
Tawny Maxwell
Now I ain’t saying she’s a gold digger, but old fool that he was, he pulled up in a Benz and no pre-nup.
The reading of the will had been set for 2.00pm in the music room, a bright rectangular space with many tall windows. It had a splendid German grand piano in it that nobody played. Robert told me that it was bought for Rosalind when she was a child, but she had refused to play it after a few lessons.
Chairs had been brought in and arranged in two rows of semi-circles facing the antique writing table. Robert’s solicitor, Nathen Jeremly, sat at it. He lifted his head when I walked in and smiled professionally. James, the butler and Mary, the housekeeper were sitting with their spines upright on the last two chairs at the back. I smiled at them and, going to the first row, sat at the end of the semi-circle. Next to arrive were my two stepdaughters. They looked around haughtily before coming to the front row and sitting in the middle seats. Neither spared me a glance.
Dr. Jensen arrived, nodded at me coldly, and took his seat next to Robert’s daughters. After him my stepson sauntered in, a glass of red wine in his hand. He caught my eye and smiled lazily at me. He made his way to the chair next to his sisters. They hissed something at him and he laughed.
The chairs were quickly filled by some of Robert’s family. Most of whom I had never met. Last to arrive was Ivan. He did not take a chair but closed the doors and stood just inside them. I saw him nod at the solicitor.
Nathen cleared his throat.
‘Well, looks like everyone is here,’ he began. ‘Here is the last will and testament of Robert James Maxwell.’
He picked up the document and began to read it.
‘I, Robert James Maxwell, Barrington House, Bedfordshire, England, make oath and say as follows:
For a long time, the words the solicitor was reading seemed like wind in the trees. A rustle. I heard a gasp of surprise and then a grateful sniff from the housekeeper and I vaguely heard the butler’s name mentioned. Of course, he made no discernable show of joy.
One by one the drone of the solicitor’s voice referred to the relatives I did not even know existed. I only pulled out of my daze when I saw Dr. Jensen jump up from his chair.
‘After twenty years. After all I did for him,’ he spat. Shaking his head in disgust he stalked out of the room. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that Robert had not rewarded him. He was so loyal to Robert. I frowned wondering why Robert had done that to him. To the best of my knowledge Robert never once mentioned that he did not intend to properly reward him. The door slammed.
I looked at my stepchildren. Their eyebrows were raised and they were exchanging surprised glances with each other.
The solicitor cleared his throat.
I started listening carefully. The next person was Rosalind. The solicitor read out the stipulation that Robert’s trust would pay her a lump sum settlement of a quarter of million and twenty thousand pounds monthly for life when she interrupted him furiously.
‘Twenty thousand pounds per month? Is this a joke?’
The solicitor looked up, his face impassive. ‘Mrs. Montgomery, please be assured that everything you are hearing is the last will and testament of your father. I have arranged for a copy of the will to be couriered to you.’
She jerked her chin towards him. ‘I’m not staying for this farce. I’ll contest this. It is perfectly obvious that he was not of sound mind.’ She turned towards me, her eyes burning with pure hatred. God! She looked as mad as a mule chewing on bumble bees. She stood and began to walk away, but then changed her mind and headed towards me. She stood over me. ‘Well, well, how clever you have been,’ she shrieked.
I said nothing. My face was flaming with embarrassment. Everybody was looking at us.
‘You think you’ve won? You think you’ve got it all?’ she spat viciously.
‘I haven’t got it all,’ I said softly.
‘He left crumbs for us, his blood children, and the big prize for his trailer park child bride.’
She swung her hand suddenly and it was so quick I did not have time to move my head, but the blow never came. I turned my head and Ivan had her hand in his grip. His face was like stone. She twisted her head and looked at him, her chest heaving with fury. ‘Stay out of this. You’re not even part of this family.’